To walk another's path
by Orion6
Summary: AU The Tok'ra love as one But when Rosha is injured Jolinar takes a new host, problems arise as Martouf and Katrina battle to see past their own tangled history. Jolinar never blended with Sam although Jacob did blend with Selmak Complete 04.02.08
1. Chapter 1

Katrina looked at her friend in amusement. "I cannot believe that you and Martouf still act like that around each other."

Rosha smiled. "He is the most amazing man I have ever met."

Katrina snorted. "You know I don't like him."

"And I have never understood why?"

"He's arrogant, aloof; he stares down his nose at me all the time. He treats you like a child at times and is far too possessive of you."

"But I love him… and Lantash."

"I know. And I am happy for you. But I will not pretend to be a friend to me when he is not."

Rosha sat down on her bed. "There is more to this than meets the eye. Why won't you tell me?"

"I will not." Katrina sighed. "I must go. I have duties to attend to." She hugged her friend and quickly left.

Martouf was approaching his quarters from the opposite direction and saw Katrina leave. When he glanced in he saw Rosha looking quite distressed on the edge of the bed, so he quickly continued down the hallway and caught Katrina by the arm.

"What did you say to her?" He hissed.

Katrina looked at the surprised glances of the surrounding Tok'ra and dragged Martouf into a side room. "I have said nothing to her."

"She looked distressed."

"Of course she is. Her mate and her long time friend do not get on."

"You have not said anything?"

"Why would I say anything! You want me to tell her that your arrogance cost me the life of my mate?"

Martouf's eyes glowed. _"It was the only choice."_

"No it was not! I gave you another option. You chose to ignore it. You single handidly left him to die there and I will never forgive you for that."

"_We did what was best."_

"For who? Oh yes… for you."

"_That is not true."_

"Lantash – you can explain away your actions as much as you want. I don't care. You are an insult to the Tok'ra. You may have been able to convince yourself that you did the right thing. But tell me – if it had been Rosha on that planet… would you really have done the same thing?" Katrina stormed out and made her way down the hall to the council chambers to begin her daily duties.


	2. Chapter 2

Katrina came around slowly and looked across at her dead best friend. It had been a tragic accident. Her own symbiote had been dying, just as Martouf brought Rosha back from a mission, severely injured. She was too badly injured for Jolinar to heal her. A decision had to be made. Lose all four or save two. Rosha had told Katrina of her wishes. She wanted Katrina to take Jolinar.

Katrina hadn't aired her disgust at the request; she didn't want her dying friend to be put through that. She knew that she really only had one option. She had to put her own personal feelings aside in order to save the life of another. She didn't have time to think about the future, of how she would cope being blended with Lantash's mate when she hated Martouf.

But now, lying there, allowing Jolinar time to settle and adjust to her new host, she began to think of the bigger picture. Of what she had actually just gotten into. She turned over onto her back as the medical team took Rosha's body away in preparation for the ritual burial. As she stared at the ceiling, she sent a silent request to Jolinar. She asked that Jolinar not share with her any memories of Martouf or Lantash until she had over-come her own feelings on the matter. Jolinar agreed readily, having already viewed some of Katrina's memories and realizing that this wasn't just a dislike, this was a result of a mission gone bad, a mission where Katrina had lost her mate. It was an emotional loss. One Jolinar was feeling now for both Petra (Katrina's symbiote) and Rosha. She needed time. They all needed time.

In the days to come, Katrina tried to stay away from Martouf as much as possible. But at the ceremony in Rosha's memory, contact was unavoidable. Katrina and Martouf had been asked to speak. Katrina sat in the front as Martouf walked to the raised platform.

"Rosha was my life, my heart and my love. She was the universe and more to me. I lived for her and she for I." He blinked back a tear. "Before I joined the Tok'ra, I did not know that love like this existed. I have been fortunate to have had this in my life. And I know that her memory lives on in Jolinar." Martouf looked at Katrina and then dipped his head as Lantash came forward.

"_I will mourn for the loss of Rosha as Martouf will. We will remember all the good she has done and the joy which she has brought to us. She will have a place in our heart for all eternity. May she finally have found peace."_

Katrina took a deep breath and climbed the step to stand beside Martouf. "Rosha was unique. She had a way of brightening people's day, of always finding the good in each situation, of forgiving those who wronged her and being able to strive for happiness each day." Katrina frowned. "I looked up to her in so many ways. I wish that I had half of the qualities that she possessed. She inspired us all." Her head dipped as Jolinar came forth.

"_Many of us feel her loss, none so more than me." _

Katrina lit a candle and handed it to Martouf. The emotion in her voice was thick from Jolinar's emotions and her own. "I give you this candle, to remind you of the light that Rosha shone on your life. When you light it – remember her."

Jacob watched as the two hosts completed the ceremony. He had his doubts about this arrangement. The High Council also had doubts as to whether this would work. The animosity between the two had been deep rooted and had caused many problems in the past. The council had been against this choice. But Rosha had asked Katrina to take Jolinar. It was her dying wish. Selmak had told Jacob that she thought Rosha was trying to heal a deep rift in her wish. That she was perhaps trying to forge a relationship in her actions. Both Jacob and Selmak knew that Katrina would now have to deal with both Martouf and Lantash on a regular basis and that in doing so, their relationship would change. Selmak also knew that Katrina had to let go.

Martouf and Katrina held their positions on the platform until the last Tok'ra had left the chamber.


	3. Chapter 3

Katrina sighed as Jolinar pointed out that she needed to talk to Martouf. The chamber was silent and she could hear his breathing beside her.

"Katrina. I wish to thank you for what you did today. I know that you do not like us and with good reason to, but we need to find a way to work this through. What is in the past is done now and I cannot change that. We both regret the way in which Armmay was lost to us and although we have done little else these past few days other than think it over, we still do not see what we could have done differently that could of saved him. We do however, admit that we should of listened to you more carefully and that although your idea was flawed, perhaps if we had considered it further, we may have been able to make it work."

Katrina sat on the steps stunned. Whatever she had been expecting him to say it certainly wasn't an outright apology and acknowledgment of their failings that day. She suspected that Lantash had pushed Martouf into this outburst to ensure that he did not lose access to Jolinar. Jolinar immediately scolded her for this thought but in her heart, she had also considered this.

Katrina turned so that she was looking directly at him. He looked lost and as much as she disliked him, she knew he was mourning just as she was. They had both lost a loved one and they were both hurting. They both knew that this situation was a difficult one and that it wasn't going to be easy.

She sighed softly. "Martouf – I cannot pretend that I forgive you neither can I say that forgiveness will come anytime soon. If I am honest, I did not think about the repercussions of my actions in taking Jolinar until after the event. I was faced with a choice. Lose them both or save one. It was not a hard decision to make under the circumstances and it was Rosha's final wish that I take Jolinar. But you need to see if from my point of view. You have lost Rosha and whilst I feel for you – I have lost a lot more. I have lost my mate and his host, and now Rosha and my symbiote. I am far from being capable of coming to terms with that right now. In many ways I simply wish to shut myself away for a while to allow myself to come to terms with what has happened. But I cannot do that. It would deprive Jolinar of contact with her own mate and I do not wish to place that burden upon her."

She got up and went over to the candle that was still alight on the altar. "I have requested that Jolinar refrain from sharing her memories of your relationship with me until a time I feel that I can take those feelings on. As it stands, I do not currently share any of her feelings on that matter. I hope that both you and Lantash can appreciate why it has had to be this way. I don't think any of the Tok'ra have been in this situation before and I do not expect them to understand. This is going to be a long and difficult path for us. So I have this request of you also. I will allow Jolinar control so that she can share time with both you and Lantash. I would appreciate it if you kept physical contact to a minimum for the time being as I am unsure of how to handle this occurrence. I fear that until I can bypass my own personal feelings of hatred towards you both – your relationship with Jolinar may suffer. I am going to need time."

Martouf approached her and stood opposite, gazing at the flame. "It is the least we can do to comply with your wishes. You have given us something that we took from you. The chance to be with our mate. We will not push you into giving us anymore than you feel you can give. We will leave it to you to set the pace on this relationship and will graciously honour any requests that you have to make of us."

Katrina sighed and allowed Jolinar control. She gently reached up and stroked his cheek. _"I am still here and I still love you both. Katrina has been more than generous in her allowance given the circumstances and I wish you both to know that I also will not push her. This has to be her choice. This will not be easy on us all but I am confident that given time, it may prove fruitful to us all."_

"_My Jolinar, we will also not push this issue. We are indebted to Katrina for giving us this gift. Considering our past actions, we certainly do not deserve it. However, there is something I wish to know."_

"_You wish to know if Rosha ever guessed why there was such animosity between the two of you."_

"_We do."_

"_I can assure you Lantash that she never knew. Katrina never told her about what happened that day. She said that Armmay had been lost in battle and that she was unclear as to the circumstances surrounding his demise. She did not even tell her that the two of you were on that mission. She was very vague but decisive."_

"_For that we are grateful. We feared that Rosha secretly knew and that it affected her feelings for us both. She was distant in her last few days."_

"_She knew she was dying. It was her dying wish that Katrina take me. She hoped that some good would come of it. I suspect that she was hoping the four of us would find new ground."_

"_Only time will tell."_

"I never told her. It would have broken her heart. If you will excuse me, I have duties to attend to."

Martouf dipped his head. "Of course." He watched Katrina leave the chamber and then looked back at the altar. Taking a deep breath he blew out the candle. "Goodbye my love."


	4. Chapter 4

Katrina sighed and rubbed her forehead with her hand slowly. She frowned and then opened her eyes again, staring intently at the inscription, trying to make sense of it all. Time was running out and she had to translate this before the opportunity was lost. She'd put in days of work to get access to this room in Ba'als palace. She grimaced when she remembered how sweetly she'd had to talk to him and the flattery she'd had to give.

_Now is not the time to be thinking about this. We can voice our disgust when the job is done._

She sighed and once again turned her attention back to the papyrus, held in storage in a glass case. One of the Tok'ra operatives in Ba'als command had seen it in passing and had mentioned that it may be of importance to the High Council, who in turn had sent her to investigate. In truth she'd been glad to be out of the tunnels for a while. The strain was now beginning to show between her and Martouf. Despite Jolinar's insistence that they should talk, Martouf, although sorry for his and Lantash's actions, still believed they had done the right thing. Katrina, despite her best efforts, had verbally assaulted him and left.

_I do believe that you are dragging this out because you do not wish to face Martouf._

You may be correct.

She closed her eyes as she heard the door to the chamber open and turned, finding herself face to face with Ba'al.

"_Normally I would ask what you think you are doing in here. These chambers are forbidden for the lower ranked such as yourself. But I already know the answer."_

Katrina's eyes flashed. _"And what might that be?"_

"_I have been watching you for some time now. Although your presence here is quite recent, you have not blended in as well as those who came with you. You have a tendency to stray into places where you should not be."_ He moved closer to her. _"You are inquisitive, and whilst I try to discourage that in my staff, I find you most intriguing."_

Katrina bowed her head gently. _"I am honoured that you see me in this way my lord. I mean no harm by my actions; I merely wish to see all that your great kingdom has to offer."_

Ba'al smiled and gently raised her head with his hand. _"You are fortunate that I know this to be the case or else I would have judged you to be Tok'ra. I have a proposition for you."_

"_And may I ask what that might be?"_

"_You are young and most beautiful; you wish to see more of my kingdom do you not?"_

Katrina nodded her head.

"_Then I believe the best place for you to do that would be at my side. I am looking for a new Lo'tar."_ He studied her face carefully, still not entirely convinced she wasn't Tok'ra. He smiled when he saw her smile at him. _"I see this request does not displease you."_

"_Why should it my lord? It would be a great honour to serve at your side in this way."_

Ba'al tenderly stroked her cheek. _"This pleases me. I do not have many Lo'tars as I prefer to be selective in my choices. Serve me well and I will ensure that your life here is full of pleasure and comfort."_

Katrina bowed her head to him once more. _"As you desire my lord."_

"_I will leave you now to finish looking at these artefacts. Once you are done, please ensure you come to me in more suitable attire."_

Katrina bowed once more and watched him leave the room. She bit down the overwhelming sense of fear and disgust that arose in her and turned back to the papyrus.

_We must be careful, he suspects us._

Of that I have no doubt. We must play this well and ensure he does not have reason to doubt us, if we are to make it back to the Tok'ra homeworld in one piece.

_I agree. I will shield you from what I can._

Thank you. I do not really have any desire to remember what happens between us."


	5. Chapter 5

Martouf paced the council chamber as he waited for Jacob to appear. She'd been gone for over a month. Reports from Ba'als ranks said that she had gained the rank of Lo'tar and Martouf shuddered as his thoughts turned to what she must be going through.

The council had been handed documentation regarding the Papyrus that she had been sent to translate and he was only slightly comforted to know that she'd been sending regular reports regarding Ba'als actions and acquisitions. In his mind, that merely meant that she was serving Ba'al so well, she had more leverage to get information out to the Tok'ra.

_Martouf calm yourself. Katrina would not offer this. She must have had little choice but to agree to his terms._

That does not make me feel better Lantash!

_Well it should. We are not mated to her and if I remember correctly, the last time we spoke to her, she was very clear in her feelings for us._

I remember. I had hoped her blending to Jolinar would have lessened her feelings of hatred to us, but it seems that they have just made them stronger. She resists everything we say. She finds ways to annoy and upset us. It is almost as if she is doing all she can to drive us away.

_Perhaps she is. Has it not occurred to you that with Jolinar's memories of love and Katrina's feelings of hatred that a battle is going on within her? She must come to terms with this herself and lay to rest some of her past in order to survive this blending. Should things get any worse, I fear that she will ask for Jolinar to be removed._

She will not do that. She would not go back on a promise. No matter how bad things become for her, she will see this through. I admit that I hold a lot of respect for her on that front.

_Then perhaps now would be a good time for you to re-evaluate your actions on that day? I would suggest that some acknowledgment of blame would go a long way into settling this dispute. Please remember Martouf that in fuelling this battle you are preventing me from being with Jolinar._

What do you mean? I thought that Katrina had agreed that your relationship could continue she just wished to be separated from Jolinar at the time so she did not remember.

_Whilst this is true, Jolinar has refused to use Katrina in this way. I am surprised you have not spoken to me regarding this matter before. You must have realised also that there are no gaps in your own memory and therefore know that nothing has happened._

Martouf sighed. I am sorry Lantash. I have been distracted. I also am sorry for putting you in this position.

_You were not alone in this situation arising Martouf. Do not forget that I also voiced my opinion on that day. We are both to blame for her loss._

Martouf looked up as Jacob coughed. "Martouf, the council has agreed that something needs to be done to rescue Katrina, but they are not authorising you to go on the mission."

Martouf closed his eyes to try and stem his anger before he replied. "They think that I am too close to her?"

"No. They know that Lantash is too close to her. Listen Martouf, whilst I can appreciate that Lantash and Jolinar are struggling with this blending, it is clear to the council that you and Katrina are not getting along. It is for this reason alone that they sent her on this mission. To give you both time apart to evaluate the situation. They do not see a benefit in sending you to rescue her given your past history in rescue missions."

Martouf's eyes flashed as Lantash came forth. _"Do not hold that against us! We are most familiar with Ba'als palace and we have a greater change of getting inside without undue notice being drawn to us. We are the most experienced operative you have to carry out this mission. To send someone else would be sentencing her to death."_

Jacob's head bowed. _"Whilst I appreciate your argument Lantash, the council's decision is final."_

"_Who are they sending?"_

"_Anise."_

Lantash roared inside Martouf's head as the host closed his eyes. "Jacob/Selmak I beg you. Let us go to her and save her."

"I cannot do that Martouf." Jacob's voice was soft.

"Then consider this my formal notice of intent to leave the Tok'ra!"

Jacob smiled softly and nodded. "I will inform the council of your decision." He moved closer to Martouf and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. "Good luck. Bring her home."


	6. Chapter 6

Katrina silently walked through the hallways of the palace to her destination. Jaffa nodded in respect to her and left her alone. Ba'al had made it quite clear that she was his and his alone, for that she was grateful. She could move around the palace without drawing attention to what she was doing. Jolinar had indeed shielded her from the acts she was committing in order to stay alive not that it gave her much comfort. The gaps in her memory were a constant reminder of what was happening to them both.

She reached the welcoming chamber and stood at the top of the stone stairwell. She glanced over the visitors to the palace and paled when her gaze rested on someone she certainly did not want to see there. Quickly she moved down the stairs and made her way across the courtyard and into the private area of the palace, where visitors did not dare to tread.

Breathing a sigh of relief she crossed the chamber and opened the doorway that led to the tunnels under the palace. She quickly turned down the darkest and made her way under the palace walls and out to the small settlement.

'_She has been sent here by the council to rescue us.'_

'She is not welcome.'

'_Katrina, we cannot allow ourselves to stay in this position much longer. Ba'al grows increasingly more demanding. It is not long before he will insist that we become his queen.'_

'There is much information to be found here that would of be great use to the Tok'ra.'

'_I agree but it is not worth the sacrifice.'_

Katrina headed out of the tunnel and crossed the field into the settlement. She was due to meet a Tok'ra messenger here. She had a parchment to give him and she needed to get it to them as soon as possible. She smiled at one of the residents who had taken her under their wing.

She smiled as the woman approached her. "It is good to see you again. The messenger is here, but he is not one that I know. He however knew you by name. I have seated him in the waiting room and have given him some food and drink."

Katrina smiled and raised her hood so that shadows hung over her face. "I thank you Melisha." She turned and hurried into the building, eager to pass her information on quickly so that she could return to the palace before her absence was missed.

She gasped as she recognised the messenger. _"Hello Katrina/Theia."_ She saw his eyes taking in her appearance and she lowered her hood in disbelief. _"I see you have gained a certain amount of power since you arrived here."_

Katrina threw the parchment at him as her eyes flashed. _"Do not concern yourself with my well being. We have made our feelings for you more than apparent!"_

He grabbed her wrist as she attempted to leave. _"You will return with us."_

"_I WILL NOT!"_

His voice faltered. "Katrina please there are others than can get this information."

"What do you care? I doubt that Anise will do a very good job?"

"You have seen her?"

"Yes I have and I made sure she did not see me. No if you'll excuse me, I must return before my lord notices I am gone."

Martouf frowned as she pulled herself away from him. "Surely you do not wish to remain in his service?"

Her eyes flashed with anger. _"Do you know what she has had to go through to feed this information to the council? Do you know what I have had to shield her from?"_

"_Of course I do! I do not wish her to remain here or I would not be here against the expressed wish of the council."_

"_So then why were your first words to her an acknowledgement of her physical relationship with Ba'al. Do you honestly think she wants this? You come here, allegedly to free us and yet you taunt us with your ridiculous arrogance! I am disgusted with you Lantash and I wish to inform you that our bonding is OVER! I no longer consider myself your mate. How DARE you taunt my host in this way? After all she has been through already at your hand, you have the nerve to come here and sneer at her!" _She raised her hood and raised her chin in defiance. "The Tok'ra are POISON!"

Martouf stood in the empty room in utter disbelief at her words. 'She did not mean that.'

'_I am afraid that she did. And she has a point. We did not express our concern for her. We did not welcome her or acknowledge that her presence here has calmed our fears of her condition. We have lost Jolinar – and even now we do not act.'_

Martouf moved quickly from the room and saw her accept a basket from one of the villagers and head across the field towards a small opening at the bottom of the palace walls.


	7. Chapter 7

Martouf cursed loudly as he was slung into the holding cell by the two Jaffa that had caught him emerging from the tunnels, inside the private chambers of the palace. He heard the lock click into place and the footsteps of the Jaffa fade into the distance. He looked around, not expecting to see any means of escape, more to set his own mind at rest.

'_Enough of this! We must be truthful finally, despite the promise we once made.'_

'I cannot break that promise Lantash.'

'_You must or this is only going to end in disaster.'_

'We do not know that for sure.'

'_Forgive me, but our current situation does not agree.'_

He sighed and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. Would it be that easy? To simply tell the truth after all this time? He would be breaking a promise to a friend. Could he do that? Thinking on his predicament, he realised exactly how much Katrina had given both him and Lantash. Her promise to Rosha had cost her dearly. Did he have her strength? The easy way out would indeed be to tell the truth, but he knew that after the revelation, he would then have another problem to deal with.

He moaned and allowed his head to fall into his hands. The time for debate was over. Katrina was now self destructive and it was his fault for allowing this to progress as far as it did. She had placed Jolinar first and upheld Rosha's wishes. Without thought of the consequence of her actions. Now, he had to place her above his own wishes and that of Lantash's. The only difference was – he was well aware of the consequences that would follow.

'_I do not agree with your course of action.'_

'I know and this time we must simply agree to differ.'

Martouf heard Lantash retort but he chose to ignore the words. 'Lantash, enough pain has been brought to us all because of this. The chain of events that started with Armmay's death must end now. This cannot be allowed to continue. There is too much at stake.'

'_Regardless of our difference of opinion, we cannot do anything whilst we are captive.'_

Martouf agreed silently and began to think over his options.

-

Anise hid in the anti-chamber and waited for her to pass. She knew that she would have to. This passageway was the direct route between Theia's quarters and Ba'als private chamber. As Lo'tar, Theia would be expected to visit Ba'al several times a day.

She laid her head back against the wall and thought back over the decision she had made earlier that day. She was willing to deal with the fallout after the event. Her main concern at the moment was to get Theia back. She had realised shortly after her arrival that it was not going to be an easy task. Katrina appeared disinterested in matters of the court and solely concentrated on pleasing Ba'al. Whilst Anise could understand the position that Katrina had found herself in, she could not understand why she fulfilled her role quite so admirably.

Talk was rife within the court staff that Ba'al was soon to announce Theia as his queen. This was not something a system lord undertook lightly. Anise had seen Ba'al discussing his decision with some personal members of his staff and had seen a look on his face, rarely seen on a Goa'uld. Whatever it was Theia was doing, she was doing it well enough to have fooled Ba'al into falling for her.

She had learnt that Ba'al had threatened all male staff under his command not to touch her or face his wrath. She had also learnt that Theia often took it upon herself to accompany Ba'al on more private missions away from the palace. The staff were theorising about her role within the staffing structure and most were not happy about her rapid rise to power. Anise had realised that Theia had gained many enemies and the only thing keeping her alive at the moment – was Ba'al.

She turned back towards the hallway as she heard soft footsteps approach her hiding place. She quickly grabbed Theia and pulled her into the anti-chamber closing the door behind her.

"_How dare you prevent me from attending our lord!"_

Anise sighed as Freya took over. "Katrina – I am sorry, but there is something you must know."

Theia snorted. _"If you are going to tell me that Martouf is here also, I already know. He is currently in the holding cells."_

Freya's eyes widened. "What is he doing there?"

"_I put him there. He followed me into the Palace."_

Freya frowned and looked at her carefully. "Why would you do that?"

Theia's head dipped_. "He is poison as are all you Tok'ra! He does not deserve to live. I shall take his life like he took that of my mates."_

Freya's eye flashed. "Martouf didn't kill Armmay Katrina! Armmay made him leave him behind!"

Katrina's eyes flashed. "You lie!"

"No I don't! Armmay made Martouf leave him on the planet."

"Why would he do that!"

"Because he'd been taken as a Goa'uld host!"


	8. Chapter 8

Katrina backed away from Anise slowly. "You lie."

"Why would I do that?"

"To make me come with you."

"Even I would not stoop that low." Anise looked at the stunned expression on Katrina's face. "Armmay was captured by Lord Yu, his symbiote was taken from him and it was replaced by a Goa'uld. The blending was new when he went to torture Martouf and Lantash managed to get through to him. Armmay told Lantash to kill him but he refused. He tortured Martouf almost to the point of death but in the end Armmay could not do it despite the evil that resided inside him. He told Martouf to leave and take you away from the planet. He made Martouf promise never to tell you what had happened and urged him to take care of you."

"No…"

"Martouf spent his last few hours on the planet, prior to meeting up with you and the Tel'tak thinking of a story to cover the events. Lantash was busy healing his injuries and therefore did not realise the plan that Martouf was forming in his head. By the time Lantash realised that Martouf was going to take the fall it was too late. And the rest you know."

"No…" Katrina fell to the floor onto her knees shook her head in disbelief. As she stared at the floor, Jolinar took her back to a long, distant memory. She was back on Vorash, lying in her bed with her mate, drifting off to sleep. She could hear his voice so clearly as if he were there now.

'I want you to promise me that if ever I am taken as a Goa'uld host, that you will kill me rather than allow me to live that way. I do not wish to see myself kill those I love. I do not wish to be captive in my body. Please – my love, promise me you will never allow that to happen to me.'

She remembered turning in his embrace and looking at him with fear in her eyes. 'Do not ask that of me for I could not kill you.'

He had touched her face and kissed her softly. 'Then forgive me now for asking it of another.'

She had fallen asleep, crying in his arms and now as she remembered his words she sobbed quietly. "He asked Martouf."

Anise knelt on the floor beside her. "Yes he did."

Katrina looked up at her. "We have been hurting each other for years because of this. In truth – we both held secrets. I promised him that I would never tell Rosha or Jolinar why I held so much hatred for him. I then promised her that I would take Jolinar. All this time he has spared me the knowledge of what Armmay became and that he had to live like that because Martouf could not kill him."

"Martouf could not do it despite his promise. So Armmay made him promise never to tell you. Katrina I tell you this now because there was another reason that Armmay made Martouf make that promise. He knew that Martouf cared for you deeply even though he was mated with Rosha. Rosha also knew – although she never spoke of it."

Katrina gasped as the puzzle made sense. "She wanted me to take Jolinar because she finally wanted us to find peace." Her voice was quiet. "And we have done nothing but war."

Anise pulled her up off the floor. "You must go to him and you must settle this, before one of you gets hurt."

Katrina quickly left the room and made her way down to the holding cells. Once there she told the guard she wished to speak to the Tok'ra and that he should bring him to her quarters at once. She then turned and made her way to Ba'als chambers.

Ba'al smiled at her when she entered the room. _"Theia… I have something I wish to discuss with you."_

Theia bowed gently. _"Forgive me my lord for my tardiness, but I wish to torture the Tok'ra spy that was found in the palace today. I will of course return to you once I am done with him. Forgive my arrogance at this request but I have a personal interest in seeing this one suffer."_

Ba'al looked displeased but did not deny her request. _"As you wish. Please, return here after you are done."_

"_Of course my lord."_

She left the room and made her way back to her quarters. Once inside she dismissed the Jaffa guard and stared at Martouf.

"Katrina… there is something you need to know."

Katrina launched herself at him and hit him hard, knocking him to the ground. She watched as Martouf tried to sit up and then fell back down still dazed. Her eyes flashed dangerously. _"You should of killed him!"_


	9. Chapter 9

Martouf gasped to get his breath back but stayed on the floor. He could see that Katrina was angry beyond reason and he could only assume that Anise had told her.

'_Be careful. We do not know what version Anise has told her.'_

Martouf eventually sat up and leant against the wall. "I could not."

"You left him there." In her head Jolinar was begging for control but she wouldn't allow it. "You left him there to live the rest of his life captive in his own body."

Martouf sighed. _'Tell her the truth.'_ Martouf stood and came to stand infront of her. "Armmay is dead. But not by my hand. He was killed by a Jaffa who did not know he had been implanted by a Goa'uld. He was shot helping me escape."

He saw the disbelief and tears well up in her eyes. He also saw the anger and fire burn inside them. "He trusted you as his closest friend and you let him down!"

"I COULD NOT DO IT!" Martouf looked at her desperately trying to make her see his own pain. "He asked you did he not? And you also told him you could not do it. Why are you persecuting me for a decision you also made."

Katrina slapped him hard across the face and sent him straight into the wall just as Ba'al walked into the room.

He smiled as he saw the Tok'ra sprawled against the far side of Katrina's chamber. _"Have you finished with this one yet?"_

She closed her eyes, realising that her whole past relationship with Martouf had been based on a lie. They had spent the last two years at war for nothing. If he had simply told her what had happened, she would have understood his actions more so than now. She ignored Jolinar's protests in her head and walked towards Martouf. As he looked up through dazed eyes he saw her activate her hand device.

Ba'al slowly moved towards her and lowered her hand. _"Leave him – he is not worth the effort it would take. I shall allow you to return him to his cell before you come to me."_

Katrina did not move as Ba'al left the room. Once gone she took off the hand device and threw it to the floor. Reaching down she grabbed Martouf and dragged him to the door.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking you to freedom."

"Katrina…"

Jolinar swiftly took over and brought Martouf towards her, kissing him gently but with increasing passion. She smiled against his lips as Lantash came forth and returned her passion. He pushed her up against the door and crushed her to him, holding her close for fear that he may never have the chance again.

As the kiss ended the symbiotes allowed their hosts forward. Katrina could feel Martouf's breath on her face as his lips hovered so close to hers. She closed the distance and kissed him softly, gently drawing him closer before she finally allowed him to step back. She searched his eyes for a moment and then looked away. She closed her eyes and shook her head slightly.

"Katrina…" His voice was soft. She looked back and met his eyes. "…come back with us."

"I cannot."


	10. Chapter 10

Katrina led Martouf quietly towards the escape tunnel that would lead almost directly under the Stargate. They remained silent although she could tell that he wished to know her reasons for declining his offer. She knew she didn't have time to explain everything to him and she knew that he would not settle for anything less than the truth.

They arrived at the door to the tunnel and she turned and looked at him. "Please know that this is the only way."

"I do not understand. To stay here is suicide."

Katrina smiled softly. "There is much you do not know about me Martouf. The council sent me here for a reason and the papyrus was just an excuse. I have been sent to bring Ba'al down." She silenced him quickly with a finger to his lips. "Please, just go. I will be home soon enough."

Martouf didn't move. The pain in his eyes was unbearable to look at and she knew that he viewed her as lost. She softly pushed him through the door and locked it behind him. She quickly made her way back to Ba'al chambers and gathered herself together before walking in.

She gasped as he grabbed her by the neck and slammed her into the wall. _"You have been deceiving me Tok'ra!"_

"_Let go of me you fool!"_

Ba'al pulled her from the wall and threw her into a wooden chest. _"You are the fool to think that I would not know."_

"_You expect me to believe you have only just figured this out?"_ Katrina got up and gently rubbed her neck where his hands had been. _"You have known for some time and yet you have never said anything. The idea of having a willing Queen appeals to you more than taking one. The power you would have over the other System Lords with a Tok'ra by your side appeals to you even more. For if it did not – you would have killed me by now!"_

Ba'al walked to her and stood over her, elongating his neck to appear to tower over her. _"That maybe so, but what use are you to me now?"_

Katrina pulled herself to her full height and raised her chin in defiance. _"You do not scare me. Despite what you are, you enjoy the fact that I do not bow to you. I intrigue you in ways you cannot understand. You may threaten me all you like but I could kill you in an instant without even moving."_

Ba'al laughed at her and then slowly began to choke as he felt an invisible pressure on his neck. He fell to his knees as he gasped for air.

Katrina smiled as she watched him cough when she released him, and shake his head until he could finally breathe. "Have I made my point?"

Her natural voice surprised Ba'al as he stood, stepping back from her. _"What do you propose?"_

"I will become your Queen and I will help you take down the other System Lords. I will then allow you ultimate power over their worlds but you will release all those who do not chose to serve you. You will not take prisoners nor will you torture anyone under your command. In turn, the Tok'ra will leave you alone. There are far more problematic enemies for us to deal with at this time."

"_If I agree, how do you know I will not go back on my word."_

"I will leave a Tok'ra operative within your command on each colony you occupy. Should I hear that you have broken any of these terms, or should one of those operatives fail to report back to me when they are due, I will hunt you down and I **will** kill you."

Ba'al looked at her for a moment and then made a move towards her. She smiled as he once again fell to his knees gasping for breath. _"You have made your point."_ He growled.

She chuckled softly. "Then we have a deal."

"Yes Theia – we have a deal. I assume you still wish to be known as 'Theia' and not Jolinar."

"You assume correctly. But that is the last assumption you shall make. Any deviation from what we have agreed will be met with your death. Do not under-extimate me Ba'al for it WILL be the last thing you ever do."


	11. Chapter 11

The months past quickly and she kept to her word. Ba'al was given ultimate power over his colonies and Tok'ra operatives were placed within his ranks on all worlds. 'Theia' as she was known to them was accepted as Queen and her influence over the lower ranks ensured that all workers we willing and those conditions were fair. While the Tok'ra knew that the situation would not last forever, they were confident that Katrina would be able to deal with problems if and when the times arose. Ba'al for the meantime was happy to see his standing within the system lords increase and with that his power.

Katrina welcomed the coolness of the tunnels as she stepped from the rings and made her way to the council chambers to give her report. She stopped upon hearing her name called and turned to see Martouf running towards her. She smiled softly. They had much to discuss.

He stopped short of her and gazed at her. "We are pleased to see you back unharmed."

Katrina smiled. "I told you I would be fine." She sighed softly. "Martouf we have much to discuss but I must first give my report to the high council."

"I know." He moved closer slightly and raised his hand, softly stroking her cheek. "Will we get through this?"

"Do you want to get through this?"

His head dipped. _"We know that it has been difficult for all of us these past months and we deeply regret the way in which the truth came to light. We are truly sorry for our harsh words to both you and Jolinar. We were angry and we thought we had lost you. Please forgive us for our behaviour."_

Katrina smiled. "I have nothing to forgive. We have all been at fault at times. I had no choice but to do what was necessary to complete my mission and as heart breaking as it was for me, we achieved our goal." She ran her thumb across his lips. "We also worry that you no longer want us, that you will be unable to forgive us for the actions we had to take."

Martouf fought back control and pulled her into his arms. "Whilst we will never forget, we love you, both of you and we are just so very glad to have you back. We are still yours… should you want us."

Katrina nuzzled into his embrace and breathed in his scent. "Oh we want you. So very much. It was our love for you that got us through these many months."

Martouf pulled away slightly and captured her in a kiss. She responded willingly to him, caressing his neck as she tenderly allowed herself to once again give her emotions over to her soul mate. He knew from her kiss that finally, everything was behind them. The anger, the blame, the hurt… they were at peace at last with their past and had everything to look forward to together.

Jacob had come to find Katrina and stopped in the tunnel and coughed quietly to get their attention. He watched them break their kiss and rest their foreheads against each others. "I hate to break up the reunion but it will need to wait. Martouf, you are more than welcome to sit in on the hearing should you wish to do so."

"Do you want me too?" Martouf looked down into her eyes.

"I have nothing to hide from you although it may be difficult for you both to hear."

"We love you. Nothing will move us from your side."

They followed Jacob into the council chamber and Martouf took a seat. The report lasted for hours and he did find the detail a little too much at times. Lantash constantly reminded him that it had been necessary to the mission and that the only thing that mattered was that she was here, with them, unharmed. He also constantly reminded him that they had a future. Martouf smiled as the council concluded their business.

Katrina looked at Martouf, worry evident on her face that he would reject her upon hearing the entire report. She watched him leave his seat and walk towards her. She accepted his hand as he turned to the council.

Lantash spoke clearly. "_We wish to inform the council that we wish to have our union with Katrina/Jolinar recognised by the Tok'ra. We will make plans for the relevant ceremony and we ask that all who object make them known as soon as possible."_

Jacob nodded and allowed Selmak control. _"It will be done. And for the record, I doubt that there will be any such objections."_

Katrina watched the council filter out and turned to Martouf. "Are you sure about this?"

"I have never been so sure in all my life. We have wasted far too much time on the past and we must now look towards our future." He faltered slightly. "We did not ask you before we made such a bold statement."

Katrina laughed softly. "You did not need to. My place is with you, wherever that may be. You have my heart Martouf… now and forever."


End file.
